The King And The Servant 2: A Nightmare's End
by narnia and beareject fan 1
Summary: High Queen Ashley and the Pevensie's finally have Narnia under control - or so they thought. When a mysterious order threatens to take over the peaceful land of Narnia, it's up to the Royal Family to stop the menace before they lose everything! (Sequel to "The King and The Servant")
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any of the characters associated with it, I do own, however, all my OC's and storyline.**

 **Hello, readers, welcome to my story! I hope you enjoy! Keep in mind this is only the prologue, the proper chapters will be much longer. Thank you!**

~Prologue~

It prowls closer. The blood-thirsty look in its red eyes scares me to no avail. I'm not worrying about myself in this horrible moment though, I'm panicking for the safety of the gorgeous, blue-eyed angel hiding behind my leg. The creature haunts forward causing the little girl behind me to quiver with fright. I keep my eyes trained on the menacing creature as I put my hand behind me to hold the young girls hand. She grabs hold of it with both of hers. The creature is dangerously close. A tiny whimper sounds from behind me and as little nails dig into my skin. I ignore the pain as the creature stops dead in its tracks. It grins wickedly before it pounces at both of us. The little girl wails from behind me as I shove her out of the way, allowing the creature to hit me square in the face.

"MUMMY!" the scream, the blood curdling scream, of my daughter echoes throughout the torn up forest as I fall flat to the ground. The creature scratches at my chest like a cat playing with a ball of yarn; its nails dragging through my skin as if it's butter. "NO!" my daughter yells; her wails and cries rip through to my very centre. I have to survive this; I don't have a choice, I must do this for my daughter. I reach for the silver sword with my arm and manage to grip it using the tips of my fingers and pull it closer towards me. As soon as I can grip it with my whole hand, I bring it thrusting down onto the creature, delving the sword deep into its back and heart. The shredding claws stop at once as I look into the red eyes of my enemy. They are filled with anguish almost immediately before they blank out. Its soul gone. It drops onto my body like a heavy rag doll. I can't breathe! I roll it off of me with all my might, managing to lay it down next to me, and slowly sit up. My daughter obviously doesn't care that I'm covered in blood and scratches, she runs over to me, tears falling from her eyes like a waterfall, and crashes into the side of my body. "Mummy," she cries into my arm. I grip her and kiss her black, leaf-covered head, tears falling down my own cheeks. Everything is starting to turn. I take my left arm from around her and place it on the floor next to me instead for some much needed support. My eyes land on my daughters little face, her shining, blue eyes red and puffy from crying, her red cheeks stained with dirt and tears; her little, red lips bleeding from being scratched.

"I love you," I manage to spit out as my eyelids close of their own accord.

"No, mummy, no," she whispers ever so quietly. That is the last thing I hear before everything goes black and cold...


	2. Chapter 1: Take No Prisoners

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any of the characters associated with it; I only own my OC's and storyline.**

 **Hey, readers! Welcome to the much anticipated sequel to "The King and The Servant!" I am so excited to be sharing this story with you all - you have no idea! I've had this sitting on my computer for over a year now with the worst writers block imaginable and not having a clue with where I wanted to take the story, but I figured it out and have written up 7 chapters as so far. Usually I like to have a whole story complete before posting, but I just couldn't wait for this one! It might mean that updates are a bit irregular due to adult life, mind you, so we'll see how we go. I'll aim to post a chapter once a fortnight (maybe weekly if I get lots of free time to write) so yeah. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the adventure, lets begin! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Take No Prisoners**

 **Ashley POV**

Cair Paravel. The amazing, white-stone castle that sits on the edge of the Eastern Ocean. The many rooms and splendid courtyards is only half of what makes up this magnificent place. This is where my family and I live. We are the Royal Family of Narnia. Aslan himself placed the very walls and towers that make up our home which is probably one of the most amazing things about it; not to mention the extremely comfortable beds and amazing food! This castle has basically been my home since I was a young girl, although until a few years ago I was here under very different circumstances. I used to slave away day in and day out as a servant here, that is until particular events occurred; namely, a head servant who went mad and tried to kill me on several occasions. Just the usual sport of jealousy and betrayal. And who am I? Well, I happen to be a servant made High Queen by right of er...marriage. The wife of the well-known man who goes by the remarkable name of High King Peter the Magnificent, Emperor of the Lone Islands or, simply put for me, Peter. With this man by my side, we have been on a remarkable journey to find a killer and end her life as well as rescue our kidnapped babies from some crazy rebels and then follow up by adopting a seven-year-old daughter. And when did this adventure end? It all ended about a year ago in fact. And let me just say, this year has been crazy.

Peter and I have been trying our very best to teach our adopted daughter, Brianna, all there is to know about living in the castle and becoming a queen. It took her a good month or two to really settle down and get comfortable around us, which was rather difficult considering we were both sleep walking for those first few months and took any chance we got to sleep, but none the less she loves us like her own parents now. She can be a bit of a slow learner at times which means that teaching her essentials like archery and horse riding can take up a lot of time; in saying that though I think it's all finally starting to sink in. I have a feeling that, in a few years' time, she will be a professional at it all.

As for Peter and I in general; it has been a very long year. Becoming first time parents has been very...trying, to say the least, on our married life. The weariness of having infant twins alongside a seven-year-old took its toll on us within a week of being back home. We agreed very early on in our marriage that we would never go to bed angry, even if that meant that one of us had to sleep in a separate room so we could work things out the next morning. Taking that into consideration, I will admit that we have each had our fair share of sleeping out in the living room due to an argument or fight which was provoked out of minuscule things such as an apple core being left on a bench instead of being put into the bin which was right next to it. It turns out that argument was completely void though since it was Brianna who did it, but it did mean I didn't speak to Peter for a whole night plus the next morning. I do have to admit though, with a lot of difficulty, that I was usually the one to start the arguments out of pure tiredness. I can get quite snappy when sleep deprived apparently; who knew?

As for our royal duties, it has definitely been tough getting used to it all. Su, Ed, and Lu have all worked tirelessly for the past year to get rid of the remnants of the Witch's army that have scattered their way throughout Narnia. Lucy is usually the one to track down the creatures by using witness reports and sightings, since all of us feel uncomfortable with her going out by herself just yet, before she sends out Edmund and Susan to go and get rid of the creatures. In the meantime, Peter and I have been trying to establish ties with some of our neighbouring countries since we finally have nothing else to worry about.

Archenland, the small country neighbouring our south, was extremely happy when we contacted them. King Lune had heard about the defeat of the White Witch from some of his citizens who live on the border between Narnia and Archenland almost three years before we tried to make a tie with them, but Peter had only ever contacted him a few times because Narnia was still in so much disarray. Since everything has calmed down though, we've been in regular contact with the gleeful King. He and his young son, Prince Corin, have visited us numerous times during the past year much to Brianna's joy. Our usually shy daughter took an instant liking to the young prince – much to our delight I might add – and they're now very close friends.

Calormen, the giant expanse of land that lies over the Great Desert, has been a little bit more difficult to join up with. The Tisroc (whom will most certainly not live forever) is not in favour of us making a treaty with him. He sees all of us smaller countries as threats and is therefore trying to keep us as far away as possible; although I do believe he's starting to turn a little bit. Peter and I are hoping for a peace treaty between our two countries by the end of the year. Whether the Tisroc will agree or not to such terms is a completely other story.

Ettinsmoor, the land that lines our Northern border, are basically refusing to speak to us. The giants at Harfang City are as stubborn as mules and generally keep their distance. We're not too bothered by it, but we are keeping a very close eye on the giants that line our borders. Peter reckons they plan to strike any day so we have put spies up along the borders to watch the situation closely.

And lastly The Lone Islands, the set of Isles that lie in the Eastern Ocean, are happy to be under rule of Narnia again. They had pulled out as soon as the Witch had taken over and were only too keen to join back up. The general of the Isles, Lord Dunman, has done a superb job at watching the Isles while they were running solo. Their lands are strongly populated and supplies are looking very numerous which makes our job ten times easier.

"Ashley!" Peter and Midnight suddenly yell. Huh? I glance up just in time to duck underneath the upcoming oak-tree branch. I whip my head over my shoulder and giggle slightly to myself before looking beside me to Peter who is already shaking his head at my obvious lack of concentration.

"One day you are going to get yourself killed by floating off into your thoughts; I swear it." We've just been out visiting Mr. and Mrs. Beaver at their dam for a month and are now on our way home. We had heard of some strange happenings occurring up and around Lantern Waste and so had been using their home as a central inn. As it turns out, I'm glad we came and not Su or Ed.

There was a goblin army planning an attack from underground to invade Lantern Waste because they wanted to live on the land there. Peter, being the wonderful negotiator that he is, promised them a section of land to live on down in the far, southern corner of Narnia which they happily accepted.

"Oh don't be so melodramatic. If you're not used to it by now then I seriously worry about your lack of attention to your wife of nearly three years," I retort. He scoffs from beside me almost immediately.

"Nearly three years? It's only June! Our anniversary isn't until September."

"Well at least you've finally learnt to remember the month after your memory failed you for the past two years," I tease relentlessly back. I see him smirk out of the corner of my eye.

"Is there a point to this discussion, dearest?" I laugh loudly.

"You need to learn to not get so worked up over nothing. Slamming into a tree branch would never kill me, falling off a cliff might, but since there are no cliffs around I think we're safe," I reply courteously while ducking under another tree branch effortlessly. Usually when going home we would take the main road, but we felt like spending a bit more time out since we rarely get time to spend alone together, so we're creating our own path through the densely, wooded forest of Shuddering Wood.

"All the same, Ash, you're riding on the back of a galloping horse through a forest. It's probably not the best time to be tuning out the world around you."

"I have a name you know!" my mare, Crystal, piques up. He ignores her.

"I suppose you have a point," I reply to Peter, also ignoring my loud-mouthed horse.

"Well, since you're so unfocused at the moment, why don't we take a break for a while? You know, try to clear our heads a little bit." I smile slightly.

"Sure, lead the way." I slow Crystal right down before following Pete over some dead logs and in between a few trees. We eventually come out onto the bank of The Great River. I jump down off Crystal and tie her up to a tree, much to her annoyance, before joining my husband on the rock he has sat down on.

It's a beautiful day. The sun is high and shining brightly, having little to no interruptions by clouds. The birds are all out and about singing their gleeful songs. Across the bubbling river, a few young creatures, fauns and satyrs mostly, are playing hide and seek; enjoying the beginning of summer. The 'seeker', plus one of the children who must've been hiding earlier, eagerly wave over the river to us. We both happily wave back before they go off to find their "hidden" friends; I say hidden very lightly since I can spot at least four of them from where we're sitting. It's a common occurrence to see youngsters out by the river. Ever since the defeat of the Witch, the children of our land have become very adventurous; which is both good and worrisome. Good because it means even the children of the land are finding it safe to be out and about, worrisome though because there are still quite a few members of the rebels left that have been going around killing people. We have warned our citizens of these occurrences, but mostly we've given the all clear for safety, so I guess we can blame ourselves for the fact that children and teenagers are frolicking wherever they very well please.

My glance, as usual, lands on my husband in admiration. His light brown hair is tidy (for once) and neatly combed back. The sun is reflecting off of his gold crown, the rubies embedded into it looking bright and light. He turns to look at me; his deep, blue eyes shining. His lips turn up into a happy smile as he notices my spellbound gaze in his direction. He wraps an arm around me then and brings me into his side before he begins to draw circles on my lower back, his usual gesture when he's feeling relaxed. I can sense something is off though. He has started looking at the river deep in thought, his lips turned down a tiny bit. I give a small kiss to his shoulder before leaning my head on it.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask while trying to read his face from my perch on his shoulder.

"Bree told me before we left that she had another nightmare." That is a reason for concern. I straighten up immediately.

"Again? That would make it the eleventh one within the past two months." He turns to me; a look of concern etched on his face.

"I know."

"Was it the same one again?" He gives a short nod.

"Yes, it was." I take that into careful consideration. What could they mean?

"I find it strange that she started getting them as soon as we adopted her. There is something in this, Peter. We need to keep a close eye on what is happening in our country."

"I agree; although there's nothing we can do to stop the nightmares from coming. The best we can do for Bree is to comfort her when she wakes up. When Aslan comes next time remind me to talk to him about it, won't you?" he asks while tossing his gaze back onto the flowing, deep-blue water.

"Sure." We sit in silence for a little while, just taking in the soft, glittering river. The merry dragonflies float above the surface like stars, sending shards of colours all around them. In the distance I can hear the soft strum of...something – actually, what is that? The sound gets closer, becoming louder, before it sounds like a horse running a marathon. Rushed flying. I look over my left shoulder just in time to see a raven flapping its wings wildly as it winds its way throughout all the trees. It reaches us; its breaths coming out in long, drawn out pants.

"Your Majesties!" Redclaw (for that is his name) exclaims as he lands on the rock next to me. Peter is up on his feet and untying the horses in one swift movement. Redclaw is only ever sent out when something is afoot at Cair, so he doesn't even need to hear why he's here to know that we have to move – and fast.

"What is it?" I ask, already standing up myself. Redclaw pants for a second while holding up his wing, sort of like what we do when we hold up a finger to say we need a second to catch our breath, before he shakes himself slightly and looks me dead in the eye.

"A creature has turned up at the castle. It's threatening us all and demands your attention immedi-."

"Get up on Crystal, Ash. We have no time to lose," Peter says, cutting off the raven without a glance its way. Redclaw immediately takes off, not even waiting to see what we're doing or how long we're going to be. He knows us well enough to know that we'll be off within a minute. And, of course, he would be right in his guess. It isn't long before we're racing through the forest at top speed. I can barely make out something before it's gone. This is where it's very helpful to have a talking horse; they can direct themselves.

We reach the gates of Cair just as the sun is starting to set in the east. Our beautiful castle is reflecting rays of deep golds and pinks into the horizon causing the bustling town to look like it's on fire. I don't really have time to take in the scenery though. We burst through the main gates as fast as lightning. The guards barely have time to bow before we're through them.

"Stop, Midnight!" Peter suddenly shouts before they come to a dead stop in front of us. I tug back on Crystals reigns in a split second to avoid crashing into them. Shivers! The town is a bustle still with creatures rushing around eagerly to get food before the markets close for the next few days. There is no way we're going to be able to get through quickly. "We'll take the back roads," Peter commands before he forces Midnight to go left. I sigh slightly before kicking Crystals side to follow him. The side streets aren't as busy although we still have to go slower than we would like to in them. We force our way through the town before reaching the front entrance. We don't even bother to lock the horses up. We jump off of their backs at the front, marble staircase and dash in through the doors.

"The guards are trying to restrain it, but we can't hold it for much longer," Oreius explains as he gallops over to us. Great! I can't have pictured a more perfect way to end such a romantic afternoon. Oh wait – yes, I can!

"I want you in there with me, Oreius, in case things turn foul," Peter commands, already in "King mode" as I like to call it. Oreius gives one nod of his large head as we enter the massive throne room. All eyes turn to us at once. Slow it down, Ashley. I take a second to contain myself before we walk proudly over to our thrones. I see Edmund and Susan physically relax as we stand next to them. Obviously they deemed the situation too dangerous for Lucy to be around. I hope for their sake that they've remembered to put the children away or else I might just kill them. It doesn't go unnoticed by me that Susan is holding her bow. The arrow is already on the string and ready to be fired at the creature who is standing on all fours. His head is down, hiding my view of his face. I'm not too sure what it is to be honest. It looks like a wolf, kind of, sort of. He looks strangely familiar though. There are guards surrounding him on all sides, but I can tell just from looking at the thing that he could take out all of them in one swoop. Peter takes a step forward, his shoes making the slightest squeak on the ground.

"You wished to have counsel with us," he starts. It is not a question.

"Yes." It stops for a moment before its head raises just enough for us to see it's dark, scarred face. "You had better watch yourselves, because the Black Subjours are coming for all of you. Heed my warning, King, because it will probably be the last warning you ever get!" he shouts. Several things happen at once then. The creature flips around causing his tail to smash into one of the guards, unexpectedly knocking him straight to the ground. Metal against metal rings through the air as swords are drawn from all corners of the room right before a whooshing sound sings past my ear. The arrow skims the creature the slightest bit but falls to the ground with a quiet thud giving him enough time to bolt out of an open window on all fours. I gasp before I run over to it, expecting to see him dead on the ground beneath us, but instead I see him dashing through the streets of the town and out the massive, front gates. The guards try to chase him down, but he's gone before they can even scream for reinforcements. I turn back around to see Peter and Oreius conversing before my husband stands near his throne and looks out to the court

"AFTER HIM, NOW! And make sure he is back alive," he commands the guards while pointing outside. The sound of a stampede rings out through the magnificent hall as three quarters of our guards rush out of the door. Well that was effective.

"And the point of sending all of our guards after him is...?" I inquire from the window sill.

"No explanation is necessary here, dearest. Trust me on this." I raise an eyebrow. Well there's no questioning him now. Edmund turns to us slowly then, his face dripping in sweat. He looks between the two of us exasperatedly.

"Well I'm glad you two finally decided to show up. Susan and I were about to lose it otherwise." The annoyance and underlying sarcasm is undeniable in his voice. "He was a strange creature," he says as an obvious afterthought.

"Evil." I say without a moment's hesitation. There was something not quite right about the way he looked and spoke to us.

"Did you get his name?" Peter asks Edmund as he sheaths his sword.

"No, he was speaking a different dialect when he got here." What?

"So how did you know he was threatening you then?"

"Because after a while he realised we couldn't understand him, so he started to speak English."

"What dialect was he speaking in earlier?"

"I'm not sure, but he wouldn't tell us his name in English nor where he was from." I glance over to Pete with worry.

"He threatened you – us. What are we to do? What did he mean by the Black Subjours? Who are they? Peter, we need to figure this out," I say as I walk over to them.

"I am aware of this, Ashley. Edmund, I'm going to leave you with a massive task. I need you to send out spies. Ten of them to be exact. Perhaps they can track him down and shed some light on this situation for us." Edmund nods once.

"Will do, brother. I will get right on it," he replies before running off. I'm sure my face is showing my worry, but I can't help it. What is happening in our Kingdom? I feel soft fingers brush away the hair from my face before a hand cups my cheek.

"Don't worry, Ash. This castle is under watch all day every day," Peter adds on as he reads my face. His arm snakes its way down my body till it's resting on my waist.

"I'm just worried about it. That creature was like the ones that attacked us on our engagement night if you can remember back that far. I wouldn't be ignoring anything he says if I was you," I reply.

"Ash, leave all of this to me. I will deal with it along with the Dukes and Lords. You, my darling wife, have nothing to worry about." He gives me a sweet kiss on the lips before he grabs my hand. "Why don't we go and see our children?" I smile brightly at that idea. Yes, it would be nice to see them again.

"Okay. Let's go upstairs." It takes us our usual ten minutes to walk up the massive staircase and I swear every bone in me screams at me when I do. According to my body, being twenty-one is the equivalent to being an old lady. As soon as we walk through our little house door, squeals of delight echo throughout the room.

"Daddy! Mummy!" Bree races over to us before slamming into me in a massive bear hug. I smile and let go of Peter's hand before picking her up effortlessly.

"How are you, darling? Have you had a good time with your Aunts and Uncles?" I ask.

"Yes! I had the bestest time! But I missed you," she murmurs in her childish voice.

"We missed you too, Princess," Peter says as he reaches his hands out to her, a gesture for a hug. I put her down before she jumps into Peter's awaiting arms. He gives her forehead a kiss and she giggles. Her face drops suddenly though as she thinks about something. It doesn't even take me a second to pick up on the sudden distraction.

"I had another nightmare last night." I freeze. Another one? Peter catches my worrisome glance his way before he places Bree down on the ground.

"Let's sit down and discuss this as a family. Let me grab the twins first though; I've missed my baby cuddles," I say.

"Okay, we'll wait out on the balcony. Don't be too long," Peter replies before grabbing Bree's hand and leading her out through the balcony door. I walk in the opposite direction, immediately heading over to Annabella's room. She's already in bed, her light brown hair tangled at the ends as she breathes steadily. I walk over to her and, I know it's selfish, but I pick her up. I missed my children, what can I say? She stirs slightly before she opens her beautiful, blue eyes. She smiles brightly as she realises it's me before grabbing my hair and playing with it.

"Hi, gorgeous girl. I missed you!" I say as I give her head a kiss. "Should we go and get your brother? I think we should." I carry her out of the room and into Brent's room. To my surprise, he's awake. He's sitting up in his cot, biting on a large teddy bear. He stops as he hears me enter though before making adorable little gargling noises; his way of saying hi. "Good evening, Brenton. Would you like to come and sit outside with us for a little while?" He reaches up to me eagerly. I pick him up in my right arm before carrying them both out into the main house.

"...so he told me that he wanted to fight with me. You know what I said, father?"

"No, I don't. What did you say?"

"I told him to go away and mind his own business and that I would have nothing to do with someone who jumps into wells constantly. He left me alone after that, although he does glare at me when he sees me in town now which is rather frustrating." I giggle slightly to myself before walking outside. I sit down next to Bree and Peter happily takes Brenton off my hands. Brenton couldn't be more excited to go to him even if he tried. He happens to love Peter's crown because it's so sparkly so he always goes to him now. Although to be honest, mine is probably more sparkly than Peter's so I don't fully understand it.

"Now, Bree, we really need to talk to you about these nightmares you're getting," I say.

"Why, mother? They're only scary dreams."

"Yes, but usually a nightmare doesn't repeat itself twelve times in two months."

"But it's never repeated itself. It's always been different, but still the same in particular facets. It always has the same scary creature in it and it is always after me, but I'm always in different places and different circumstances. Sometimes I have a weapon, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I'm facing it, sometimes I'm running for my life. It's hard to tell."

"You are scared of it though?"

"Always." I put my spare arm around her before I pull her tightly against my side.

"I know it's hard," I say while looking down at her.

"Can you stop them? I never got nightmares till I came here," she tells us both.

"We can't stop them, no, but we're always here for you. Whenever you get scared just come into our room and we'll be there. Don't forget that. Also, don't forget that no matter how scary it is, it's just a dream. As soon as you're awake it will be gone," Peter explains as he wraps his spare around her too. She shakes her head.

"No, they're so real. It's hard to wake myself up from them because it doesn't feel like I'm dreaming."

"I know what you mean, I used to get them all the time also," I say, fighting the images that run through my mind when I think back to those dreaded dreams.

"How did you deal with it?" I didn't.

"Well, I knew they were dreams and so I was able to ignore most of what was happening for that reason."

"I wish I could be strong like you, mother." There's a shrill bell that rings through all our ears then. Bree's attention moves immediately from me to the sound.

"You are strong. Very much so. Now, what do you say we all go to dinner?" I say. I've worked and lived in this castle long enough to know what that bell means by now.

"That sounds like a marvellous idea, Ash. Come along," Pete says as he stands up.

* * *

 **Please if you enjoyed this first chapter, leave a fav, comment, and follow (so you can keep an eye on new chapters being posted ;) ). Thank you for reading and I shall chat to you all soon!**

 **narnia and beareject fan 1 xoxo**


	3. Chapter 2: Listen Before You Speak

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any of the characters associated with it; I only own my OC's and storyline.**

 **Hey, readers! Thankyou so much to the readers who have followed and favourited this story so far! It really means the world to me! Now onto chapter 2! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Listen Before You Speak**

We walk down to the dining hall quickly, my stomach grumbling as soon as I see the amazing food that lines the table. Peter gestures for me to sit down first once we get to the table, like he usually does, before Malina pulls out my seat for me.

"You must be starving after your massive holiday." Pff, holiday.

"Holiday? It would please you to know that we didn't have any kind of holiday. Everything we did was work related."

"Even at night?" I almost spit out my wine. Almost. This stuff is imported from Calormen and tastes amazing, why would I want to waste it?

"Malina!"

"What? I was talking about your nights spent drinking wine and reading. What are you referring to?" I send her a glare. She just smirks and chuckles slightly under her breath.

"MOTHER!" I jump slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"Can I eat now? Father just took a bite." Really? That's why you screamed?

"Of course you can. You know the rules." She smiles brightly before she begins to dig in.

"Ed? Have the spies you sent out reported back yet?" Peter asks eloquently over the murmur of voices. My glance flies over to Edmund immediately. He freezes, a leaf of lettuce hanging out of his mouth as he looks at Peter with a blank expression. I give Peter an all knowing look. I predicted this ages ago.

"You asked me to send out spies?" I run my fingers through my hair as Peter stares at him in disbelief. I put my hand on his thigh in an effort to stop him from losing his mind. We all know Peter tends to have a hot temper. Why, Edmund, why? Of course my calming efforts do nothing though. He pushes my hand away immediately.

"You told me this afternoon that you were right on it. I can't believe you haven't done it yet!" The room goes silent immediately, all murmurs stopping at the first word. "Do you even hear me when I talk to you? I mean honestly, Edmund! I asked one thing of you. One! Emolise?" I look over to me friend who's standing over in the corner with a tray of wine glasses. "Get me your father immediately please," Peter commands. Em looks lost for a moment before she gathers her wits and goes to find Oreius.

"Relax, it's nothing to get frustrated ov-" I start as my attention turns back to Peter.

"I am trying to rule a country here! You need to learn to listen to me, Edmund, and don't you even start, Ash! I don't need you telling me to calm down right now when we've just let a prisoner escape and have taken three hours to send anyone out after him! By the Lion's Mane can't anyone do anything right!" He stands up, slamming his hands into his plate of food before storming over to Oreius, who has just entered the room and missed most of the angry rant, before storming outside of the dining hall. Oreius' eyes meet mine with a pleading look, I just shake my head though. He drops his head in quiet defeat before following after Peter. I can hear him shouting from the hallway but can't actually make out any words which I'm rather thankful for if I'm being completely honest. When Peter loses his temper, he loses it big time.

Susan is the first to break the silence in the room with a sheepish grin. "You had better go and talk to Peter, Ashley. You're the only one he will really listen to." I know she's right, but I really wish she wasn't. Maybe I can take Bree for protection? For Aslan's sake, get it together, Ash! He's your husband!

"Okay, you stay here, Bree. I'll come and grab you once it's time for bed, alright?" I say as I brush hair away from her face. She nods once before looking down at her plate quickly, her eyes brimming with tears. I will have to deal with the upset daughter a little later.

"Would you like us to take care of the twins and put aside some food for you and His Majesty later, Ashley?" Kabella asks me whilst carrying two empty plates.

"Please," I reply with a general glance in her direction. "Okay, I'll be back soon. Be good." I kiss Bree's head before strolling off to my sure doom. Angry Peter is certainly not my favourite Peter in the world. The hallway is dark, only the few torches lining the walls give any sort of light. The screaming gets louder as I round the corner before I spot them. Peter has his back turned to me, but I can see Oreius' face clear as day. The usually peaceful and harsh faced Oreius has been replaced with a polar opposite Oreius. He looks a bit like a puppy who has just been told off by his owner.

"...lieve you haven't organised the new trainees yet! Oreius, what in Narnia have you been doing whilst I've been away all month? This is ridiculous. I've been in charge for four years now! You should understand my position by now and know what is expected of you for when I'm away! The safety of my family and country depends upon the new guards and people doing as I say. I need these spies sent out immediately and I need you to track down these trainees wherever they may be and get them trained! Have I made myself clear?" He straightens up and nods once, his face an open book for once.

"Yes, High King Peter. I will get right on it." With those parting words he leaves in the opposite direction, heading straight for the front door. Peter puts his head in his hands once he's gone before throwing a hand through his hair and flopping down on the couch behind him. He puts his fingers to his temple and rubs it a bit with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths in and out; obviously trying his best to calm down. I take a deep breath in myself before taking a few cautious steps towards him.

His eyes fly open as he looks up annoyed. "What now?" He shouts. His whole demeanour changes as soon as he sees me though and he goes back to the position he was in before. "I'm sorry," he mutters quietly, looking down at his hands which are tangled together in his lap, his fingers dancing around each other.

"You should be." His regrettable eyes meet mine as he opens an arm for me on the love seat. An invitation to join him. I accept graciously and take a seat next to him. His arm curves around my left shoulder before he pulls me into his side.

"Why can't anyone ever listen to me? That's all I ask. Was it really that hard to do?" I rub his shoulder and neck slowly a few times. I feel his whole body relax within a minute.

"You just need to learn to not get so worked up over everything. It doesn't help that we're both beyond tired. Maybe we should have an early night. Head up to bed for a good night rest?" He grimaces.

"Maybe." He's silent for a moment and from my vantage point his face is a blank space. He's not giving me any ideas on what he's thinking or how he's feeling. "I can't help but feel like there is a reason for this threat. What have we done? The only things I can think of is that we killed The White Witch and Starstone." A few servant girls walk by then, laughing about something although as soon as they spot us they all go quiet and look at us with solemn faces. Not good.

"Let's talk about this in private. Come." I grab his hand and pull him to his feet before walking with him over to one of the main courtyards. No one is here at the moment since it's night time. All the flowers are tucked away for the night while a few fireflies circle us. The small trickling of the fountain can be heard over the peaceful silence. I sit down with Peter on the stone chair and play with his fingers; a welcome distraction from angry Peter.

"Why did you want to speak in private exactly?" I look up at him. He's giving me a confused look, as if he's trying to read my mind.

"Because we shouldn't be talking about killing people with servants walking around us constantly. Most of them are brand new. We don't want to be scaring them away." He smirks.

"You're probably right."

"What are your thoughts on all of this though?" I ask him as I play with his wedding band, tossing my attention back to his hands.

"I think we need to go back and evaluate all of our moves. They wouldn't be after us for no reason whatsoever. We have to have done something to bring about this motive."

"I'm not sure. We didn't do anything to have caused this or brought it on. Perhaps they're out for revenge?" I suggest.

"Revenge for what though? Killing Starstone? They attacked us on our engagement night. We didn't kill Starstone till well after that night."

"We could be over thinking this. It could be that they just want the throne."

"Then they would've come in a group and killed us all while we were surprised. We were not expecting this. By taking the surprise element out it's just giving us a chance to get prepared for whatever is to come." I huff.

"Well what other options do we have then, Pete? Do tell me because every other option I've given here you've just turned down."

"I'm out of suggestions. Hopefully the spies can give us some details. As for us now, we need to act like everything is completely normal for the sake of our children and the country. We can't let anyone know what's going on and panic them all. I'm sure a lot of the court people are worried right now, but we must ensure that we go about our daily life as per usual. What these creatures want is to create fear, we can't give them that satisfaction." What he's saying makes complete sense; although I would like to know exactly what's going on.

"Okay. I do agree with that. You're going to need to make amends with everyone in that dining hall though."

"Is dinner still going?"

"It is, but the girls offered to put some food aside for us and look after the children until we're ready."

"Come and face the crowds with me?" I laugh and toss my gaze over to him again.

"Sure. Whatever meets His Majesties ideals," I tease. He shakes his head at me before pushing me off of him so he can stand. He grabs my hand once he's up before we walk back over to the dining hall.

"Well look who comes back after his temper tantrum. Feeling better, Petey?" Edmund you idiot.

"Maybe if people would listen to him when he speaks then he wouldn't have to fly off the hammer at you all," I remark quickly before Pete has a chance to say anything.

"Enough you two. I'm sorry everyone for getting angry. There's just a lot going on and I had to take it out on someone. Usually I would prefer it to be just Edmund, but it just comes out sometimes." There's a murmur of forgiveness around the room before we start eating again.

After dinner we head upstairs, both Peter and I being stuffed from the ride home from Beavers Dam earlier in the day. Both Anna and Brenton are out like lights once I put them in their cots. Their soft snores ring out through their otherwise dead silent rooms.

"Mother? Could you please read me a story?" Bree asks politely as I enter her bedroom to say goodnight. She's holding a book closely to her chest though I can't see the title of it from my vantage point.

"Of course I can." After reading to her for a while, I give her forehead a kiss before heading into our bedroom. To be honest, there is no better feeling in the world than lying down on your own bed after having slept in random beds for a month. Peter pulls me close to him, his arms wrapping around my body, before we both fall asleep.

* * *

 **Please if you enjoyed this chapter, leave a fav, comment, and follow (so you can keep an eye on new chapters being posted ;) ). Thank you for reading and I shall chat to you all soon!**

 **narnia and beareject fan 1 xoxo**


	4. Chapter 3: Nightmares

**Chapter 3: Nightmares**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any of the characters associated with it; I only own my OC's and storyline.**

 **Hi readers! I'm back after like a year (lol). I just realised I never finished this story and figured, well I may aswell because I put so much work into it! I'll post some of the chapters I have already written and will update as i have time to write basically. I hope you all enjoy and get immersed once again into the world of Narnia.**

Darkness. There's nothing more terrifying and deadly in my opinion. Especially when that darkness begins to swirl around you like wind and transform into trees and rocks. Before I know it, I'm dashing between them all; my legs carry me across all the dead leaves and twigs at what seems like super speed. The heavy crunching of the leaves beneath my feet is ringing through my ears, it's mixed with another noise though; one that is just starting to appear. The snarl gets louder from behind me. I whip my head over my shoulder only to see it. What I'm looking at I'm not sure. All I know is that it's after me. And gaining. Fast. I look ahead of me again, dodging tree branches as I sprint. I jump over one final log before I'm in a grassy clearing. At least I think it's a clearing. It's hard to see through the darkness. The snarls stop as suddenly as they began as I reach what seems to be the middle of said clearing. It's silent. I can't even hear the squeak of a mouse. I look over my shoulder. The creature is nowhere in sight. The silence breaks apart as I hear the crunch of dead leaves from in front of me. I haven't moved. That was not me. My breathing spikes slightly as I turn back around. Through the darkness I can see the faintest outline of something. Whatever it is is walking straight towards me. It's not running or moving fast at all. It's taking small, slow steps, almost as if it's in a trance. The shape of it seems to be only small. As it gets closer, I can start to see the overall form. It's a person. A child.

"Who's there?" I call out experimentally. The child comes closer still until they're right in front of me. It doesn't look up at me, only ahead. "Brianna?"

"Hello, mother." Her head moves up very slowly until her eyes lock with mine. There is no emotion behind them.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you." Her voice is off; almost like she's empty and hollow.

"Why were you looking for me?" I ask. I'm not sure why, but I feel a sudden urge to step back so I do.

"The Black Subjours. They're coming."

"Who are these Black Subjours?" She's silent. Her body not moving at all. Her long, dark, violet dress flows in the wind as she blinks once every twenty seconds. It's only now that I notice the scratch across her cheek. My motherly instincts kick in almost immediately. I bend down so that I'm eye to eye with her before reaching out to touch the scratch. Just before I manage to brush it though there's a howl. An ear screeching, murderous howl. I stop my hand and very slowly stand up. Turning around the only things I can see are blood-red eyes in the distance.

"They're coming. They'll be here soon. There's no escaping them," Brianna says from behind me. I reach my hand back, hoping to Aslan that she'll take it in her own. Ice cold fingers wrap around it. I tighten my grip. Her grip does too; the cold rushing through my arm. I flip my head over my shoulder to look at her. Her eyes aren't focused on me anymore though. I hear a snarl as loud as thunder and spin back around only to have the creature pounce at me. I scream – a blood curdling scream.

"Ashley!" A voice rips through the air immediately, rendering my eyes to flash open.

I'm sitting up, my whole body drenched in sweat. My breathing is intense, coming out in short, raspy gasps instead of my usual steady breath. It's okay. I'm okay. I hold my hand up in front of me and flip it around. It feels fine. I feel something warm touch the back of my arm though and I jump high, my whole body flipping so my back is to the dark, fire place. I lock eyes with Peter and I'm certain I know what he can see. Fear. He sits up slowly and reaches his hand out to move the loose hair away from my face before he moves his hand down to my waist.

"Are you okay, darling?" Am I okay? That question is a little hard to answer right now. I feel completely disorientated; I almost feel like my body is still in that forest.

"Not really," I manage to say. It comes out as a croak though. My throat is really dry. He pulls me down to him so that I'm curled up along his muscular body. His arms immediately curl around me, holding me close to him. I instantly feel safer.

"It's okay. You're safe. It was just a dream."

"It didn't seem like it though. It was so real." I feel the corners of my eyes prickle with tears. I've never had a nightmare like that and to be honest, it has kind of freaked me out.

"I wish there was something I could say." I shake my head.

"It's fine. I'm going to go for a little walk to try and clear my head. You should go back to sleep. King Lune is coming for court today remember? You need to have a clear mind. I'll be alright." He grimaces before giving my cheek a peck.

"Stay safe and don't be too long. You need sleep as well," he comments. I unwrap his arms from around me and jump out of bed in the same fluid motion. I give his cheek a kiss before throwing on my satin night gown and exiting the room.

I head out into our living room feeling jumpy and shaky; constantly looking over my shoulder and back into the dark room ahead of me. I need some light, desperately. Glancing over to the windows, I see the soft glow of the moon peering in through the royal blue curtains a tiny bit. I walk over to them and tug them open, letting the silver light pour into the room. I feel my body relax with the tiny bit of light before I walk over to the small kitchen and light a few candles. I shake my head to clear my mind slightly before smiling to myself. I love this time of night. It's a time when I can just be me. I don't have to be a mother or a queen or a wife, I can just be who I used to be. I sit down on the lounge. When it's this quiet it just reminds me of the times when I used to live in my cottage. It was just Bella and I, but she kept to herself so much it never bothered me. They were simpler times. Don't get me wrong, I love my life right now, but I do wonder what it could've been like if I'd never married Peter. Bella would still be alive for starters and I would still be working as a servant. I wonder if my parents would've approved of my life right now. Whether they would've liked Peter or not. I don't often think about it, but would they have had something to say about me being High Queen? Would they approve of this life? Mother always wanted me to be a servant just like her. Would she have been proud of me? _Bang!_ I jump, immediately turning my head towards the hallway. A shadow is standing at the doorway. I feel and hear my breath starting to come up out in short pants; my nightmare rushing back into my mind.

"Brianna?" I call out experimentally, my voice shaky. The shadow shuffles forwards; its small, bare feet barely making any noise on the wooden floor. All I can see is a mass of jet, black hair.

"Mother?" My heart breaks into two immediately, recognising the tone in her voice. This is nothing like my nightmare. There's nothing hollow or empty in this voice. It's full of emotion. My motherly instincts kick into gear within seconds.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Did you have another nightmare too?" She nods her head and I can hear her small sniffles from here. I open my arms up, an invitation for her. She runs up to me straight away, not even thinking about it for a moment. She jumps into my lap and puts her arms around me. Sobs rake through her small frame as she cries into my shoulder; drenching my night gown within seconds. "Sweetie, it's okay. I've got you. It was just a dream," I say. If I'm being honest, I'm just repeating what Peter told me since my mind is still racing after my nightmare, but she doesn't need to know that. She sniffles and straightens up slightly. I wipe away the tears on her face with the satin on my gown. "Would you like to go for a walk with me? We can try and clear our heads together," I suggest. She smiles at me and nods.

"Yes please." She gets off me while pulling on my hand; a gesture for me to stand up. I do just that before we walk over to the front door together. I let her open it and we walk out into the 'not-so-abandoned' hallway.

"Is everything okay, Your Highnesses?" Yerialds asks at the door. I nod.

"Yes, we just couldn't sleep, so we're going for a short walk. We won't be too long," I reply before heading down the stairs with Bree in tow. She's quiet which is unusual. Whatever her nightmare was about obviously has her frazzled.

"Mother? Why is this level blocked off with furniture?" she asks innocently as we reach a dark hallway. I look into it and hesitate slightly. I really don't want to talk about everything that happened in the rooms in _that_ hallway. The three doors are all closed and, honestly, I hope they stay that way. There are far too many bad memories to even think about telling my eight-year-old daughter about it.

"It's nothing, just a storage corridor. You don't need to worry about it."

"But there are doors there."

"Just some rooms there that don't need to be used and we needed somewhere to store the furniture so we used that hallway."

"What's in the rooms?" she asks.

"Nothing; they're empty."

"Do you know why they're empty?"

"No."

"Is that where Aunty Bella's room is?" I furrow my brows in confusion. What?

"Who told you about Bella?"

"Father." I am going to kill him. I've tried to keep Bella out of Bree's life, mostly because I don't want to scare her. Knowing that someone could break into her room and kidnap her isn't exactly something I want my eight-year-old daughter to know.

"Well since you know about her then yes."

"Is it empty too?"

"Yes," I lie smoothly. I haven't been able to bear the thought of entering her room; just knowing that that is where she spent her final moments makes it too sad.

"Can we go in there?" I shake my head at her.

"No. It's forbidden. Understand?" Bree grimaces and looks down.

"Yes, mother, I understand."

"Good girl." A distraction; that's what I need right now. "Have I ever shown you my secret courtyard?" Her head pops up then, her eyes full of excitement and curiosity.

"No? Is there a secret courtyard? Does it have fairies?" she inquires excitedly. I love how easily children are distracted.

"I wish it did. It is magical though. Come. I'll show it to you." She takes my hand excitedly and we walk quickly down the rest of the stairs. I lead her to the throne room and over to the back right hand side before knocking three times on the wall. A secret passage opens up. It's big enough to walk through that you can keep walking on your feet, but you do have to duck down a bit, although it's the perfect height for Bree to walk normally.

Upon entry, you wouldn't think it's anything that grand as all you can see is dark stone around you, but as you enter through an archway of green vines and beautiful, smelling, red roses, you realise it's actually pretty amazing. Seated in the middle of the courtyard is a small pond that houses several kinds of fish and turtles. Bright, green grass surrounds the pond (although it all looks dark in the light of the moon) and along the stone pathway is a beautiful, old, stone love seat. The courtyard is filled with beautiful roses and flowers and it smells absolutely divine. The moonlight is just starting to hit it too now, giving the stone pathway and pond a beautiful silver glow.

"This is my favourite place. I come here to de-stress and relax. I suppose I like it because my mother, your grandmother now, planted all the flowers. She built it purposely for the royal family so that whenever they wanted to get away from it all they could go somewhere where they didn't have the worries of the world around them. It's like a royal hiding spot really," I explain while picking a red rose in its bud and handing it to my shy daughter. She doesn't grab it though. She turns it down and instead backs away from the courtyard slightly. "Is everything alright, Bree? What's wrong?"

"My nightmare. This is the courtyard where it happened," she whispers. Through the dim light I can vaguely see her eyes looking at me in pure terror – there's no other way to put it. It can't be...

"Bree, you need to tell me what happened in your nightmare," I say as calmly as my voice will allow; it comes out more forcefully than I intend though. She shakes her head slightly and, from where I'm standing, I can see her eyes starting to well up with tears.

"No. No, I can't. Not now. Not here." She dashes from the courtyard then, running straight back into the castle at top speed. The guard keeping watch in the courtyard looks at me worriedly.

"Is Her Highness okay?"

"We need to go inside," is my simple reply, my legs already carrying me back through the archway. "Bree?" I shout out worriedly. My eyes lock with her small body within seconds. She's curled up in a ball in front of the thrones, sobbing her little heart out. My heart breaks in two upon the sight and my legs don't even wait for a command before they're already running over to her. Before I even have time to process it, I'm sitting down in front of my throne with my daughter curled up in my arms. "It's okay, Bree, I've got you," I whisper into her ear. My shoulder is soaked with tears, but I don't have it in me to care. Whatever happened in her nightmare has her terrified.

"Mother, I don't want anyone to go in there ever again."

"What happened?"

"A creature came and he was hiding in the roses and he killed you and father an – "

"You don't need to say anymore, Bree," I say as I hold her close to me. We sit in this position for what feels like forever. I'm not really sure how much time passes to be completely honest; Brianna is my only focus right now.

"Mother?" she whispers through the silence. I look down to her.

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me you won't go back in there?" she asks through her sniffles as she pulls her face away from my shoulder and wipes away her remaining tears. I grab her face gently and turn it so I can look straight into her eyes.

"I promise you, Brianna, nobody will ever go into that courtyard again."

"You absolutely promise?"

"I absolutely promise." The smile that stretches from ear to ear as soon as I say that is just the motivation I need to never break that promise. I mean it.

"Thank you." I pull her back to me, my arms wrapped tightly around her.

"You don't need to thank me for something like that. I will never break that promise. I swear it." I feel her smile against my shoulder.

"I know you won't."

"Now, little miss, what do you say we go back to bed?"

"Can I sleep with you and daddy?" I smile slightly at her using the term daddy since she rarely uses it these days and nod.

"Of course." We head back upstairs; both of us just managing to drag our feet up the stairs. Once we get to the top we go back into our apartment. I draw close the curtains again and grab Bree's hand before heading over to our bedroom. I open it as quietly as possible, although it does give a slight creak upon opening and closing again. I put a finger to my lips and very carefully pull the bed sheets over a bit so we can both slide in without waking up Pete. Of course that would be too easy though wouldn't it. Peter stirs and wakes up slightly. He smiles at me and gestures for me to crawl in. I slip my night gown off so I'm left in my pyjamas before sliding under the covers. I glance over to Bree who is sulking. "What's wrong?" She sniffles again.

"I wanted to cuddle up to daddy," she whispers quietly but in a sulky voice.

"Get in from the other side then."

"No, I want to be in the middle."

"Crawl over me." She smiles brightly at that and eagerly jumps on the bed before crawling over my body and slipping under the covers. Peter puts his arm around her almost immediately and gives her a forehead a kiss before yawning and going back to sleep. She curls up between us in a little ball and closes her eyes. I know for a fact she's over tired. I'm just really hoping that she has a peaceful night sleep and doesn't get disturbed by more nightmares. I close my eyes almost immediately too, wishing for exactly the same thing.

 **Don't forget to leave me an alert or favourite if you're enjoying the story and I will see you all in the next chapters! :D**

 **narnia and beareject fan 1**


	5. Chapter 4: Head Servant

**Chapter 4: Head Servant**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any of the characters associated with it; I only own my OC's and storyline.**

"This is probably the best idea you have had in ages. I feel sorry for Peter – actually no, no I don't," Susan tells me before she takes a massive bite out of her chicken breast. Edmund and Lucy laugh while I just roll my eyes. Since Bree and I had such terrible sleeps last night, I suggested we should all go out for a picnic in Dancing Lawn to de-stress. Sadly, Peter had to stay back at the castle since he had a meeting with King Lune, but everyone else was able to come.

"I wish Prince Corin could've come to visit us too. I haven't seen him in a while," Bree says in between bites of her salad. I smile slightly.

"Prince Corin? Really? Brianna, you've got to pull yourself together and realise that there are so many better people than him in the world; for example, me. Find someone like me," Edmund says. I raise an eyebrow and glance over to him. He's too busy entertaining my son with an acorn to pay any attention to me though.

"You're not good looking though!" I kid you not, Edmund pouts at that one.

"Ask my lady friend that."

"Lady friend? I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure a mop doesn't count as a lady friend," I say.

"Ha! You think you are so funny, don't you?" he spits back at me. I keep my eyebrow raised. "Okay, fine, I don't have a lady friend. Golly, you can't give me one minute, can you?" I chuckle.

"Speaking of men...Susan? Any on the horizon?" I ask, turning my attention away from my brother-in-law and over to my sister.

"I really wish there was. Narnia seems pretty dry in that respect."

"It's not like no one's interested in you."

"I'm not one to lie to you, Ash, so I will tell you that any advice you give me is not going to help. You were married by my age," she says as she plays with the food on her plate.

"Yes, I was, but you can't tell me that this is because no one is interested in you. You constantly get letter's from possible men, Susan, so the only one you have to blame for lack of suitors is yourself." She looks away from me and instead tries to grab Anna as she walks past. Of course she is my daughter though so, naturally, she protests by pushing against Susan's arm.

"She does not want to be held today. Trust me, I tried earlier," I say while turning back to ensure my son is still with Edmund. He has a habit of wandering off while I'm not looking and today is apparently no different. He can't have gotten too far. "I will be right back." It takes me a few minutes, but I do eventually find him tucked under one of Yerialds' legs. Thank Aslan Yerialds felt him or it could've ended very badly.

"And this is why we can't go out," I tell everyone as I come back to the picnic rug. Brent's cheeky smile says it all. He loves wandering away, which panics me to no avail. I feel like our family is being observed by someone or something. I don't feel comfortable with him being out of my sight.

"Well I give up on Annabella. She is not having anything to do with me today," Susan says as she lets her niece run free. Anna immediately goes over to Bree and sits down next to her before picking up pieces of lettuce and throwing them on the ground. At least she's entertained.

"What about you, Lu? Any potential suitors?" I ask, easily turning the attention away from a very absent-minded Susan. Lucy immediately blushes bright red. I can't help the laugh that escapes my lips. I guess I know the answer to that now. "What's his name?"

"Lord Damien of Archenland," she replies while looking down. Her cheeks are a dark shade of red.

"Don't be embarrassed! It's a perfectly normal thing to have boys you're interested in; especially at your age. Just please don't start courting till you're sixteen. I will be the one copping the earful about it every night otherwise." She laughs out loud.

"Noted. Peter will have to put up with it one day, though."

"That doesn't mean it has to be while his little sister is twelve." She smirks.

"You make a valid point, sister." We spend the rest of the afternoon swimming and exploring before deciding that it's probably time to head back to the castle. Upon arrival, we all head straight inside. I take a slow walk past the throne room once we get inside to check up on my husband. The stone flooring rings with each step I take, but there is no other noise. Maybe he's finished? I place my ear to the door whilst putting a finger to my lips, telling the guards to stay quiet.

"King Lune! We need to find out who they are and what they want! Not only is my country at stake, but so is my family!" I hear Peter bellow. I can't believe they're still in the meeting. They have been in there for at least five hours now which means I'm going to have to bear the full brunt of an extremely tired Peter later on. Great. Just how I want to spend my evening. My head pulls itself away from the door just as a light ring fills the air. It's not a familiar sound. What was that? I hear hooves on the ground from behind me and turn around in time to see Tamilla come to an abrupt halt. Her wavy, brown hair is full of tangles as she pants, trying to catch her breath. Wherever she's headed, she's obviously running late.

"Ash! Are you coming?" she inquires through pants.

"Coming where?"

"To the choosing of the new head servant of course!"

"Wait! That's today!" I exclaim. Tammy rolls her eyes at me before beginning her race back down the hallway.

"Yes! Now hurry up! We're already late!" she shouts out behind her. I quickly follow her down the main corridor and over to the staff lounge. All the servants are gathered, including the twenty-four brand new trainee servants. It's packed in other words. Malina and Kabella gesture me over to their seat so I somehow manage to squeeze my way through the hoards until I'm at the long lounge. I gesture for them to move aside a bit before plonking myself down between the faun and mermaid. Tammy sits down on the ground in front of me beside Emolise, Killara, Cabigail, and Henrietté. Mirasdean sits on the arm rest of our chair.

"So any idea who is going to get picked for Head Servant?" I whisper to my friends.

"Well if you were still a servant, I would've guessed you, Ash, but, since you're not, I wouldn't have a clue," Malina tells me honestly.

"I think you're in for a shot, Mal," Lara says.

"No, I think it will be Cabigail," Mirasdean cuts in.

"Henrietté, no doubt in my mind," Kabella says.

"Who do you think it will be, Ash?" Cabigail asks me.

"Well just looking at track records, I would assume Emolise since both her parents were in leadership." Em looks down at the ground as I say it and I can't help the frown that forms on my face. "Unless, of course, Em doesn't want it."

"I don't know if I'm ready for that much responsibility. I wish there was a way to pull out," she replies just as Oreius walks up to the front with Grassweed the Satyr. Obviously, they're the ones picking the Head Servant. Poor Em.

"Thank you, everybody, for being here on time – well most of you anyway." Oreius gives Tammy and I an all-knowing look. I chuckle slightly. "This won't take long, I promise," Oreius starts. Grassweed passes him some parchment before he begins to read it. "We need people to nominate some of our main staff for the position. The staff who are put up for nominations must have been here for a minimum of five years and know what is involved in the position of Head Servant. This is not something that is to be taken lightly. So if anybody who has worked here or is working here would like to give us some nominees that would be great." It goes quiet in an instant. Well if nobody else is going to...

"I nominate," I begin. I see Em's eyes look at me in fear. I know she can do it, but if she doesn't feel comfortable with it then I don't want to put her in an awkward position. "Malina." Emolise smiles at me in thanks before she breathes a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you are unable to nominate someone," Grassweed says.

"Oreius said anyone who works here or has worked here in the past. I used to work here, therefore, I can put up a nominee." Grassweed frowns slightly before turning to Oreius for confirmation. Oreius takes a moment to re-read the parchment before shrugging at her.

"She's right, Grassweed. The Queen's vote must count. Okay Malina is nominated. Anybody else?"

"Gealinera."

"Henriette."

"Cabigail."

"Killara."

"Ferinah!"

"Tamilla."

"Ladies, slow down. I can't write that fast," Grassweed chuckles as she writes all the names down on the parchment with a smile.

"Are there any last-minute additions?" Everyone is silent again.

"Emolise." I look towards the very familiar voice only to see Peter leaning up against the stone door frame with his arms and legs crossed. He's looking intensely at Em and I can see her nerves kicking into gear.

"King Peter, you have never worked here, therefore you cannot nomi – " Grassweed starts before Peter cuts her off.

"I wasn't nominating. I am telling you. Emolise is our new Head Servant. Put away the other nominations."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but there are certain legalities we mu-"

"Grassweed and Oreius, I respect your legalities, but I have not come in here to argue about it. I am High King and you will do as I command. Emolise is our new Head Servant and that is final." Grassweed and Oreius both bow their heads in defeat. Emolise turns to me instantly. I can see in her eyes that she wants me to talk him out of this. I know this side of Peter well and am aware that there is nothing I can do to change his mind, but I suppose I should at least attempt to, even when I know it's doomed to fail. I stand up and clear my throat, all eyes turn to me instantly. Peter's posture changes almost immediately. I don't think he realised I was here. He straightens up, his eyes locking to mine with an intensity that could set a forest on fire.

"Peter, Emolise does not want to be Head Servant. She doesn't feel ready," I say. He reads my face for a minute, his fingers tapping against the stone door as he takes in what I said, before focusing his attention back onto Em.

"Sorry, Emolise, but it's Aslan's orders." His eyes flick to me for a moment again as realisation crosses my face. That explains a lot. "Now, I will not tolerate any more back talk from _anyone_. You're Head Servant and that's final. Now, everyone, back to work." He walks away then leaving an absolutely distraught and panicked Emolise in his wake. All of us gather around her and give her a hug.

"Em, you'll be fine. I promise!" I say as I grab her shoulders forcing her to pain attention to me.

"Ash! I can't do this!"

"I will always be here for you if you need a hand. You're going to do an amazing job! Think of it this way, Em; Aslan, himself, has bestowed the honour of Head Servant upon you even if Peter was the one to break the news. He wouldn't put you in this position if he knew you couldn't handle it."

"But – can you at least try to talk your husband out of it?"

"If Aslan told him it was you then I don't think there's much I can do or say to change his mind."

"Emolise, you'll be fine," Oreius says as he comes to give her a hug. There's nothing better than a father's hug in my mind.

"What if I can't do it though?"

"We all believe in you, Em! You're going to make the best head servant ever!" Kabella exclaims as she hugs her.

"We know you can," I encourage. Her eyes lock with mine and I can see the pleading behind them.

"Can you please try and change it?" she asks me. I lock my jaw and sigh before I look down slightly and nod. What she's asking me to do is like asking me if I can stand in front of a pack of wolves and hand-feed them meat. This is not going to go well.

"I can't make any promises, but I will try." I hold my hand out to Grassweed who in turn hands me the parchment with all the other names on it. My eyes scan through the dozens of names. Surely he can pick someone else with all these other options available.

"Thank you, Ash!" I grip the parchment tightly in both hands before taking my leave. Peter changing his mind on this is going to take a miracle. It's not like this was even Peter's decision though. He was told from higher up. I doubt he's going to be very cooperative about it. I head over to the throne room, which is thankfully open now, and go inside before closing the heavy door as quietly as I can. Peter's head is buried in parchment. Not going to lie, I'm very worried about discussing this with him. If yesterday's rant is anything to go off, I must be mad. Emolise, you'd better understand the lengths I'm going through for you here! Hmm, now, how to bring up the subject.

"Peter, honey?" He looks up from his parchment for a split second before shaking his head and burying his face in it again.

"Not now, Ash. I have heaps to get done by tonight." Be persuasive.

"I will only be a minute, please?" I ask with a flutter of my lashes. The look he gives me is nothing short of disbelief.

"If this is about Emolise being head servant, the answer is no. Aslan has given me strict instructions and I am to obey them, nothing more, nothing less. Now, please, I'm trying to work." He looks back down again. Time to step it up, Ash. I put a hand on my hip before jutting out my hip and sauntering over to him. I take seat on his lap and cross my legs over each other, ignoring all the parchment around us. His gaze runs up my body before he raises an eyebrow at me. His hands go to my waist as he smirks.

"Please, Peter. I will do anything." He chuckles slightly and starts to lean in for a kiss. Our lips are just about to meet when I feel my bottom hit the tile flooring. What in Narnia... "Did you really just push me off you?"

"No amount of seduction is going to make me change my mind. Now go, Ash. I don't even want to see you till dinner time." I stand up, arms folded over my chest. Is he serious?

"You can be a real ass at times you know?" He laughs without looking up from his parchment.

"Yes, I do know actually. Now get away from me, wife. I'm not talking about this anymore."

"Bu-"

"Ah."

"I don-"

"I mean it." His blue eyes meet mine. "I'm not discussing this anymore with you." I throw the parchment with all the names on it on his lap in anger.

"Fine then, but just know they all hate you and so do I," I scream while storming out.

"Love you too."

"You are the most frustrating man in the world."

"Says the most frustrating woman in the world." I bash open the gold doors, scaring the guards outside of it, before storming over to the staff room


End file.
